Завдання для проведення олімпіади з англійської мови, 11й клас

Read the text and choose the correct answer to the question.

The economic success of the Scandinavian countries is surprising, perhaps, for some. It is often said that in the era of globalization, countries with generous welfare policies cannot be competitive. It is claimed that countries with high taxes and large public expenditures cannot be successful growth nations. The rapid development of the Scandinavian countries during the past decade is a powerful argument against this logic. True, we live in times of sweeping change. The last 10 years have taken us on a great journey, full of rapid and fascinating developments. The overall prosperity of the world is growing. People are rising out of hunger, oppression and illiteracy. More countries have become democracies. Research and new technology offer new opportunities. Medicines are becoming cheaper and more widely accessible. At the same time new threats — in the forms of terrorism, infectious diseases and climate change — spread fear around the world. But change itself is nothing new for an open, trade-oriented country like Sweden. For us, all this is challenging, but also exciting. Our economic growth is largely a product of continuous structural adjustments. We have encouraged those changes, and continue to do so. Our openness and innovative climate has helped us to build a number of successful international companies such as Saab, IKEA, Volvo, Ericsson and Asia. What is new is the pace of change. The globalization of economies and markets affects people’s everyday lives. For society as a whole, the continuous shift of labor into new, more productive areas is of great benefit. But for individuals, these changes can carry great costs. Workers in the most developed countries face competition from workers with lower wages and less secure working conditions. Businesses face tougher pressure on prices and a rapid increase in efficiency demand. At the same time, more jobs require high education and specific skills, and an increasing number of jobs are emerging in the service sector. Along with the other Scandinavian countries, Sweden has been coping well with this fast-changing environment. Our country has had higher growth over the past 10 years than the EU and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Sweden is held to have the world’s most internationalized economy after Ireland. We have been designated the most creative country in the world and the best climate for innovation in the EU. Sweden is third in the World Economic Forum’s ranking of growth prospects, and invests more in education than any other OECD country except Denmark. Sweden is also in the lead at balancing growth and environmental concerns. International studies confirm it time and again: Sweden is one of the world’s most modern countries. We have strong social security — but a higher level of employment and work-force participation than most other countries. We have high public expenditure — but we have had greater economic growth in the past 10 years than the OECD average. We have a large public sector — but there is also a vigorous and expanding business sector that competes successfully in the world market. I believe the reason we are doing relatively well is that we have developed policies that facilitate structural adjustment. That enables us to harness the full potential of globalization. It is not about protecting old and inefficient sectors. It is about facilitating change for the individual — to build bridges from the old to the new, from the shrinking sectors to the innovative, from the stagnating to the vibrant and growing. To do so, we must provide people with opportunities to learn new things, to move or to change jobs late in life. And they need secure incomes, in case the unpredictable — an illness, unemployment — strikes. In a rapidly changing economy, lifelong education, a strong social security system and active labor-market policies are key assets. The Swedish model clearly shows that an ambitious welfare policy is fully compatible with free trade and openness. High taxes do not get in the way of good growth if they are levied through a sensibly constructed tax system that does not place an excessive burden on production. On the contrary — a system of this kind is an advantage for development and growth. A robust public sector gives people the security to seek new opportunities and test new grounds. In this way, 88 READING COMPREHENSION security goes hand in hand with development. Our experience also confirms this. Willingness to pay tax, moreover, is relatively high in Sweden, as people feel confident that the money is used to address common concerns—health care, schools and social services available to all. In the same way, it is crucial to give women the same rights, opportunities and wages as men. Parenthood must not be an obstacle to work, which is why Swedish couples have the right to stay home with 80 percent pay for 13 months (including at least two months for the father after childbirth, and to full-time day care. As a result, Sweden has one of the highest levels of female labor participation in the world, and one of the highest birthrates in the European Union. As Western populations age, a high birthrate is critical for maintaining a balance between working age people and retirees so we can afford pensions. Sweden — small, cold, with a difficult language — cannot hope to rely on immigration. I am convinced that the Swedish general-welfare model is modern and forward-looking. It is not only fair. It can also be a very competitive model in a globalized economy

Question №1

In this passage, the author portrays the Scandinavian countries as:

Read the text and choose the correct answer to the question.

The economic success of the Scandinavian countries is surprising, perhaps, for some. It is often said that in the era of globalization, countries with generous welfare policies cannot be competitive. It is claimed that countries with high taxes and large public expenditures cannot be successful growth nations. The rapid development of the Scandinavian countries during the past decade is a powerful argument against this logic. True, we live in times of sweeping change. The last 10 years have taken us on a great journey, full of rapid and fascinating developments. The overall prosperity of the world is growing. People are rising out of hunger, oppression and illiteracy. More countries have become democracies. Research and new technology offer new opportunities. Medicines are becoming cheaper and more widely accessible. At the same time new threats — in the forms of terrorism, infectious diseases and climate change — spread fear around the world. But change itself is nothing new for an open, trade-oriented country like Sweden. For us, all this is challenging, but also exciting. Our economic growth is largely a product of continuous structural adjustments. We have encouraged those changes, and continue to do so. Our openness and innovative climate has helped us to build a number of successful international companies such as Saab, IKEA, Volvo, Ericsson and Asia. What is new is the pace of change. The globalization of economies and markets affects people’s everyday lives. For society as a whole, the continuous shift of labor into new, more productive areas is of great benefit. But for individuals, these changes can carry great costs. Workers in the most developed countries face competition from workers with lower wages and less secure working conditions. Businesses face tougher pressure on prices and a rapid increase in efficiency demand. At the same time, more jobs require high education and specific skills, and an increasing number of jobs are emerging in the service sector. Along with the other Scandinavian countries, Sweden has been coping well with this fast-changing environment. Our country has had higher growth over the past 10 years than the EU and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Sweden is held to have the world’s most internationalized economy after Ireland. We have been designated the most creative country in the world and the best climate for innovation in the EU. Sweden is third in the World Economic Forum’s ranking of growth prospects, and invests more in education than any other OECD country except Denmark. Sweden is also in the lead at balancing growth and environmental concerns. International studies confirm it time and again: Sweden is one of the world’s most modern countries. We have strong social security — but a higher level of employment and work-force participation than most other countries. We have high public expenditure — but we have had greater economic growth in the past 10 years than the OECD average. We have a large public sector — but there is also a vigorous and expanding business sector that competes successfully in the world market. I believe the reason we are doing relatively well is that we have developed policies that facilitate structural adjustment. That enables us to harness the full potential of globalization. It is not about protecting old and inefficient sectors. It is about facilitating change for the individual — to build bridges from the old to the new, from the shrinking sectors to the innovative, from the stagnating to the vibrant and growing. To do so, we must provide people with opportunities to learn new things, to move or to change jobs late in life. And they need secure incomes, in case the unpredictable — an illness, unemployment — strikes. In a rapidly changing economy, lifelong education, a strong social security system and active labor-market policies are key assets. The Swedish model clearly shows that an ambitious welfare policy is fully compatible with free trade and openness. High taxes do not get in the way of good growth if they are levied through a sensibly constructed tax system that does not place an excessive burden on production. On the contrary — a system of this kind is an advantage for development and growth. A robust public sector gives people the security to seek new opportunities and test new grounds. In this way, 88 READING COMPREHENSION security goes hand in hand with development. Our experience also confirms this. Willingness to pay tax, moreover, is relatively high in Sweden, as people feel confident that the money is used to address common concerns—health care, schools and social services available to all. In the same way, it is crucial to give women the same rights, opportunities and wages as men. Parenthood must not be an obstacle to work, which is why Swedish couples have the right to stay home with 80 percent pay for 13 months (including at least two months for the father after childbirth, and to full-time day care. As a result, Sweden has one of the highest levels of female labor participation in the world, and one of the highest birthrates in the European Union. As Western populations age, a high birthrate is critical for maintaining a balance between working age people and retirees so we can afford pensions. Sweden — small, cold, with a difficult language — cannot hope to rely on immigration. I am convinced that the Swedish general-welfare model is modern and forward-looking. It is not only fair. It can also be a very competitive model in a globalized economy

Question №2

Sweden is described as

Read the text and choose the correct answer to the question.

The economic success of the Scandinavian countries is surprising, perhaps, for some. It is often said that in the era of globalization, countries with generous welfare policies cannot be competitive. It is claimed that countries with high taxes and large public expenditures cannot be successful growth nations. The rapid development of the Scandinavian countries during the past decade is a powerful argument against this logic. True, we live in times of sweeping change. The last 10 years have taken us on a great journey, full of rapid and fascinating developments. The overall prosperity of the world is growing. People are rising out of hunger, oppression and illiteracy. More countries have become democracies. Research and new technology offer new opportunities. Medicines are becoming cheaper and more widely accessible. At the same time new threats — in the forms of terrorism, infectious diseases and climate change — spread fear around the world. But change itself is nothing new for an open, trade-oriented country like Sweden. For us, all this is challenging, but also exciting. Our economic growth is largely a product of continuous structural adjustments. We have encouraged those changes, and continue to do so. Our openness and innovative climate has helped us to build a number of successful international companies such as Saab, IKEA, Volvo, Ericsson and Asia. What is new is the pace of change. The globalization of economies and markets affects people’s everyday lives. For society as a whole, the continuous shift of labor into new, more productive areas is of great benefit. But for individuals, these changes can carry great costs. Workers in the most developed countries face competition from workers with lower wages and less secure working conditions. Businesses face tougher pressure on prices and a rapid increase in efficiency demand. At the same time, more jobs require high education and specific skills, and an increasing number of jobs are emerging in the service sector. Along with the other Scandinavian countries, Sweden has been coping well with this fast-changing environment. Our country has had higher growth over the past 10 years than the EU and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Sweden is held to have the world’s most internationalized economy after Ireland. We have been designated the most creative country in the world and the best climate for innovation in the EU. Sweden is third in the World Economic Forum’s ranking of growth prospects, and invests more in education than any other OECD country except Denmark. Sweden is also in the lead at balancing growth and environmental concerns. International studies confirm it time and again: Sweden is one of the world’s most modern countries. We have strong social security — but a higher level of employment and work-force participation than most other countries. We have high public expenditure — but we have had greater economic growth in the past 10 years than the OECD average. We have a large public sector — but there is also a vigorous and expanding business sector that competes successfully in the world market. I believe the reason we are doing relatively well is that we have developed policies that facilitate structural adjustment. That enables us to harness the full potential of globalization. It is not about protecting old and inefficient sectors. It is about facilitating change for the individual — to build bridges from the old to the new, from the shrinking sectors to the innovative, from the stagnating to the vibrant and growing. To do so, we must provide people with opportunities to learn new things, to move or to change jobs late in life. And they need secure incomes, in case the unpredictable — an illness, unemployment — strikes. In a rapidly changing economy, lifelong education, a strong social security system and active labor-market policies are key assets. The Swedish model clearly shows that an ambitious welfare policy is fully compatible with free trade and openness. High taxes do not get in the way of good growth if they are levied through a sensibly constructed tax system that does not place an excessive burden on production. On the contrary — a system of this kind is an advantage for development and growth. A robust public sector gives people the security to seek new opportunities and test new grounds. In this way, 88 READING COMPREHENSION security goes hand in hand with development. Our experience also confirms this. Willingness to pay tax, moreover, is relatively high in Sweden, as people feel confident that the money is used to address common concerns—health care, schools and social services available to all. In the same way, it is crucial to give women the same rights, opportunities and wages as men. Parenthood must not be an obstacle to work, which is why Swedish couples have the right to stay home with 80 percent pay for 13 months (including at least two months for the father after childbirth, and to full-time day care. As a result, Sweden has one of the highest levels of female labor participation in the world, and one of the highest birthrates in the European Union. As Western populations age, a high birthrate is critical for maintaining a balance between working age people and retirees so we can afford pensions. Sweden — small, cold, with a difficult language — cannot hope to rely on immigration. I am convinced that the Swedish general-welfare model is modern and forward-looking. It is not only fair. It can also be a very competitive model in a globalized economy

Question №3

The “shift of labor” in paragraph 4 means: